Just because someone doesn't have a 'cause' to shout about from the rooftops, it doesn't mean that that same person has no reason to want to be more rational.
I never really agreed with that post; it seems simpler to say that because it is easier to judge instrumental rationality's effectiveness, it is less likely to become corrupted with idiosyncrasies or blind spots. This is not a sufficient condition for saying that rationality for its own sake (or just without an overriding, save-the-world 'purpose') is doomed to failure
This seems contrary to LessWrong's best interests. Communities live or die by how they treat new members and discouraging newcomers will lead to stagnation, marginalization, and eventual irrelevance. There is admittedly a large inferential gap between a theist and your typical LW member, but what would you say to someone who had just come in from reading HPMOR and wanted to know more about LessWrong? "Sorry, come back when you have a cause like an anime character."?
Sorry for the rant, but this really rubbed me the wrong way.
Just because someone doesn't have a 'cause' to shout about from the rooftops, it doesn't mean that that same person has no reason to want to be more rational.
I don't disagree, but becoming a PUA is the end result of studying whatever it is the field is called, so in this twisted analogy presumably RA is the end result of studying rationality. My point is that if you develop rationality in a vacuum and never significantly confront anything with it, there's no way to know if your rationality is actually effective, and no reason to improve its flaws -- and...
I recognize the title could be more informative. At the same time I believe it says what is important.
I believe in a deity, I believe in mathematical entities in the same way.
The community of LessWrong (from whenceforth: LessWrong) is deeply interesting to me, appearing as a semi-organized atheist, reductionist community.
LessWrong seems very interested in promoting rationality, which I applaud. The effort does seem scattered, though, and this is the reason I post.
One has Eliezer's website with some interesting posts. The same of this community. The community links to some posts when you are coming for the first time into it, and you also have a filter for top posts. One has the blog. And recently, the center for modern rationality (in the same page as harrypoter fanfiction about rationality).
The point being there is no defined roadmap to go from AIC (average irrational chump to make an analogy to Game - which also seems to come up around quite a bit) to RA (again, rationality artist).
I write this post as to maybe generate a discussion on how the efforts could be concentrated and a new direction taken.
Should the creation of the Center for Modern Rationality envision this same concentration, this post may and should be disregard.
If it does not, then I leave it to your consideration.
Hang.